General Travel Tips: Cambodia

Here’s your one-stop-shopping, bullet point style rundown on Cambodia travel!

• Watch out for mystery fees at the Poipet border crossing. Walk in with exact change for the visa fee ($20), preferably in US dollars, and 2 passport sized photos for your visa application. Have extra USD on you for a bus ticket at the Poipet bus station, as there are no ATMs and a poor exchange rate.
• US dollars are widely accepted in Cambodia as well as Cambodian riel, and ATMs dispense USD. It’s a good idea to have some riel on you at all times, but you won’t lose money if you pay with US currency.
• Exchange money at local exchange stands instead of banks for a better rate.
• Bike rental is often the cheapest and most rewarding form of transportation in Cambodia. Most bikes cost only one dollar a day and it’s a great way to see the country’s beautiful scenery.
• Don’t leave Cambodia without visiting some of the historical sites related to the infamous Khmer Rouge Regime, an important part of Cambodia’s history that happened very recently. Phnom Penh is a great place to do this.
• At some historical sites (i.e. the Killing Caves outside Battambang), cute little kids will offer to show you around, or naturally assume the position of tour guide. If you accept their services, be prepared to give each of them (even their friends tagging along) one dollar. They may be cute, but keep in mind the impact encouraging extortion in little kids might have on their future.
• LGBTQ Travelers: Cambodians are generally accepting of homosexuality, but keep in mind that public displays of affection (heterosexual or homosexual) are a cultural no-no!
• Before you consider signing up for a tour of an orphanage, please read this article on why orphanages are not tourist attractions.
• You may encounter street children in some of Cambodia’s cities. Please do not give them money, as this does not help kids get off the street, and often the money goes directly to a handler or a pimp instead of necessities for the child.
• Always bargain, but make sure you do it with a smile! You’ll do much better that way.
• If you are traveling to Vietnam from Cambodia, get your visa at a travel agent in Phnom Penh instead of the embassy—it’s cheaper!
• Most of the water is brackish, so unless you have your own filter, expect to buy bottled water. Another eco-friendly option is to bring your own reusable water bottle and have it filled at restaurants or convenience stores that offer to fill water bottles.
• As always, keep your valuables on you at all times while traveling! Don’t leave cameras/laptops/cash/passports in luggage that is stowed underneath the bus or in an overhead compartment. Keep it right on your person to prevent it from being stolen.
• Watch that handbag! In Phnom Penh there are occasionally “drive-by muggings,” men on motorbikes who ride by and snatch shoulder bags from people. One incident tragically ended in a woman being pulled into traffic and killed. Keep your bags secure, or at least away from traffic!
• What to buy in Cambodia: Paintings of Angkor or watercolors of floating villages and scenes from rural life; fair trade handicrafts; kramas (multi-purpose scarves worn throughout Cambodia); Angkor t-shirts.